Electric socket



April 0- SCHMIDT, JR 1,755,613

ELECTRI 0 SOCKET Filed Jan. 1'7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 oQ/WJEZEEE? April 22, 1930.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY @M I ATTORNEMY Patented Apr. 22, 1930 FFICE' LAMBERT SCHMIDT, JIL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LOUIS FREUND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SOCKET My invention relates to electric sockets and especially those intended to receive fuse plugs, although not necessarily limited to such use.

The principal object is to provide a socket structure in which the terminals or binding posts-are covered and concealed and rendered inaccessible after the socket has been properly installed, so that it is diflicult or impossible for unauthorized persons to short circuit the line or the fused circuit.

This object is accomplished by providing a base carrying the threaded shell or shells and the terminals, with means for securing the base to any suitable support, and a separate cover which conceals the terminals and renders them inaccessible, and has a positive locking means which prevents the cover from being removed, after it has been applied, without destruction of the cover.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufficiently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawings, which show one representative embodiment. After considering this example, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a socket structure embodying the invention in one form.

Fig.2 is a right side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the cover 35 removed.

Fig. 4 is a section at 44, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section at 55, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the cover.

Fig. 7 is a section at 7-7, Fig. 6. I

The base 1 and cover 2 are of any suitable insulating material, of which porcelain is a suflicient example. The socket shown is of p the double type as usually provided for a fused circuit, although the invention is equally applicable to a socket of the single of the center contact screws.

type. The central front portion of the base is of'increased thickness, providing at opposite sides (top and bottom as arranged in the drawing) right angled channels 3 to receive cover flanges 4. In the front of the base are shallow recesses 5 to receive the threaded metal shells 6, the flanged bases 7 of which rest on the bottoms of the recesses. At the center of the recess bottom is a boss 8 surrounding a hole 9 to receive screw 10, the head of which forms the center contact. For each fuse socket the base has upper and lower recesses' 11 and 12 to accommodate binding screws 13 and 14 respectively. A conductor strip 15 is secured to the center contact 10 by a nut 16, the strip and nut being located in a rear recess of the base, which after assembly is filled or sealed with suitable material such as cement 17. The outward end of strip 15 is formed as usual to receive the binding screw 13 and end of one of the terminals 18, the'base and cover flanges 4 being suitably channeled for passage of the conductors. 'Other contact strips have eye formations surrounding the bosses 8 and are held in contact with the socket shell base flanges 7 by washers 21, held under the heads These strips extend through channels in the front of the base and have the usual formations to receive screws 14 and form the shell connecting terminals of the socket.

Any suitable holes may be provided through the base for its attachment to a support, such as a wall or beam. In the present arrangement two such holes are provided, in the vertical centerline of the base, to receive the attachment screws 26, the heads of which are accommodated in outward enlargements 27 of the holes.

The base alsohas one or more formations for cover locking purposes. One such formation is usually suflicient. Thus,'in the example shown, at a general central location, an aperture 30 passes through the base. This includes an outer, outwardly tapered portion 31, a. shoulder 32, and an inner cylindrical portion 33.

The cover has apertures 40 to accommodate and give access to the socket shells 6, and another aperture 41 for locking purposes. This aperture has an-inner small portion 42 to slidably receive the locking rod .or pin 43, and an enlarged outward portion 44 to receive the rod head or button 45 and a spring 46 which is located bet-ween the head and a shoulder at the bottom of the enlarged aperture portion 44. The lockin pin and spring are retained in assembled re ation to the cover, before the cover is applied, by a pin 47 passing through rod 43. At the inner end of the locking rod is a locking member proper consisting of a strip of bent sheet spring metal 48 secured to the rod by upsetting an end portion thereof, as at 49. The arms of this spring strip extend angularly alongside the rod and terminate in ends or fingers 50.

Prior to application of the cover, the base 1 is secured to a support such as 60, Figs. 2 and 5, by means of screws 26 (or bolts or other suitable fastening. means depending on the nature of the support). wired in the usual way by connection of conductors to the various terminals. The cover 2 is then applied, its flanges 4 interfitting with the base channels 3, and completely covering, concealing and rendering inaccessible the socket terminals. In the act of applying the cover the inner end of rod 43 with the locking member 48 enter the conical recesses 31 of the base, but the rod with its head or button 45 are held in extended position by spring 46, (and as located by pin 47 so that the fingers of the lock pass beyond the inner portion of the conical aperture; or in other words, the cover is not locked in position until the locking device is properly manipulated, so that fuse plugs or other electrical appliances may be inserted in the socket and the wiring tested and readjustments made if necessary. Thereafter button 45 is pressed in, whereupon the fingers 50 snap intotengagement with shoulder 32, as shown in Fig. 5, positively locking the cover to the base and preventing its removal by any means short of destruction of the cover, so that unauthorized persons cannot gain access to the socket terminals.

If it is necessary to have access to the terminals or other lnternal parts of the socket for repair or readjustment, the cover may be broken and removed, after which the base must be removed from its support, and the locking pin removed by manipulation of the spring device 48, after which the base may be reinstalled, connections or adpistments made. and a new cover with locking pin applied and secured.

The. mechanical, or plunger, lock here The socket is thenshown is, in the broad aspect of the invention, representative of any suitable device for securing the cover in place, such, for example, as a keyed lock, which can be operated to lock the cover, or if desired, to unlock it, only by authorized persons possessing the proper key.

I claim:

1. An electrical socket structure comprising a base, a receptacle thereon for an electrical appliance, terminals accessible at the outer face of the base, a cover designed to accommodate said receptacle and covering and rendering said terminals inaccessible, and means positively locking the cover to the base.

2. An electrical socket structure comprising a base, a receptacle thereon, for an electrical appliance, terminals accessible at the outer face of the base, a cover designed to accommodate said receptacle and covering and rendering said terminals inaccessible, and means positively locking the cover to the base, said locking means being accessible at the outer face of the-cover but devised to prevent manipulation to cause. unlocking after being placed in looking position.

3. An electrical socket structure comprising a base, a receptacle thereon for an electrical appliance, terminals accessible at the outer face of the base, a cover designed to manipulated to lock the cover permanently in position.

4. An electrical socket structure comprising a base a receptacle thereon for an electrical appliance, terminals accessible at the outer face of the base, a cover designed to accommodate said receptacle and covering and rendering said terminals inaccessible, and means positively locking the cover to the base, said locking means being constructed and arranged to permit application of the cover without locking and to be thereafter manipulated to lock the cover permanently in position, and to thereafter be incapable of external manipulation to cause unlocking.

5. An electric socket structure comprising a base having one or more socket shells and terminals exposed-at the front of the base, and said base also being apertured for the insertion from the front of the base of supporting devices, such as screws, the base also having a locking aperture including a shoulder, and a cover designed to overlie, conceal and prevent access to said terminals and also apertured to accommodate and give access to said socket shells, and a locking device carried by the cover and having a locking member to cooperate with the socket shoulder, and manipulable from the front of the I cover to produce locking action after the cover is applied to the base.

6. An electric socket structure comprising a base having one or more socket shells and terminals exposed at the front of the base, and said base also being apertured .for the insertion from the front of the'base of sup- 1porting devices, such as screws, the base also aving a locking aperture including a shoulder, and a cover designed to overlie, concealand prevent access to said terminals and also apertured to accommodate and give access to said socket shells, and a locking device carried by the cover and having a locking member to cooperate with the socket shoulder,

and manipulable from the front of the cover to produce locking action after the cover is applied to the base, the cover also having formations interfitting with formations of the ase.

7. An electric socket structure comprising a base having one or more socket shells and terminals exposed at the front of the base, and said base also being apertured for the insertion from the front of the base of supporting devices, such as screws, the base also having a locking aperture including a shoulder, and a cover designed to overlie, conceal and prevent access to said terminals and also apertured to accommodate and give access to said socket shells, and a locking device carried by the cover and having a locking member to cooperate with the socket shoulder, and manipulable from the front of the cover to produce locking action aftenthe cover is applied to the base the base and cover also having interfitting fiange and channel formations.

8. An electric socket structure comprising a base having one or more socket shells and terminals exposed at the front of the base, and said base also being apertured for the insertion from the front of the base of supporting devices, such as screws, the base also having a locking aperture including a shoulder, and a cover designed to overlie, conceal and prevent access to i said terminals and also apertured to accommodate and give access to said socket shells, the cover having therethrough an aperture aligned with the base locking aperture, a rod mounted for reci rocation in the cover aperture, and a resillent locking member on the inner end of the rod and prevent access to said terminals and also apertured to accommodate and give access to said socket shells, the cover having therethrough an aperture aligned with the base locking aperture, a rod mounted for reciprocation in the cover aperture, a spring normally urging the rod outward, and a resilient locking member on the inner end of the rod adapted to engage said base locking flange when the rod is pressed in and thereafter to prevent removal of the cover, except by destructive operations.

1 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LAMBERT SCHMIDT, JR.

adapted to engage said base locking flange when the rod is pressed in and thereafter to prevent removal of the cover, except by destructive operations.

9. An electric socket structure comprising a base having one or more socket shells and terminals exposed at the front of the base, and said base also being apertured for the insertion from the front of the base of supporting devices, such as screws, the base also aving a locking aperture including a shoul-- 05 der, and a cover designed to overlie, conceal 

